ILOILO City – The operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in the island-province of Guimaras resumed yesterday after a month of suspension upon the order of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) vice chairperson and general manager Royina Garama issued a notice of resumption to the Iloilo Small Town Lottery Gaming Corp. (ISTLGC), the STL franchisee in Guimaras.
According to ISTLGC’s Arnel Asturias, they were able to comply with PCSO’s conditions for resumption of operation; these included paying a cash bond equivalent to three months of their presumptive monthly retail receipt (PMRR).
The STL operator in Guimaras has over P6 million in PMRR.
Also, pursuant to the undertaking that ISTLGC signed as one of the conditions for the resumption of its operation, it was required to submit a certified true cope of its latest tax clearance within five days from receipt of the notice of resumption (Aug. 30).
According to Asturias, they immediately coordinated with the Police Regional Office 6 and Guimaras Police Provincial Office regarding the resumption of their operation.
ISTLGC is among the few authorized agent corporations of PCSO across the country that resumed their operation. Others have difficulty complying with the conditions for the resumption of their operation.
On July 26 President Duterte ordered the closure of all gaming schemes operated, licensed, and franchised by PCSO (lotto, STL, Peryahan ng Bayan, and Keno) due to “massive corruption.”
On Aug. 22, he lifted the suspension on STL. But PCSO’s Garma said there are conditions laid out for agencies seeking continuous operations.
One is for the authorized agent corporations to deposit a cash bond equivalent to three months of the PCSO’s share in the guaranteed minimum monthly [retail] receipts. This is on top of their existing cash bonds.
Another condition mentioned would be the forfeiture of these cash bonds, if the authorized agent corporations do not remit their share to government on time.
“Third condition, each authorized agent corporation shall execute a written undertaking that it shall comply with its obligations under the STL-agency agreement, and will not institute any claims, monetary or otherwise against the government, and/ or apply a temporary restraining order from any court to prevent the government from exercising its rights and prerogatives,” said Garma./PN
